The Legend of Evanna
by SaintlySinnersandEvilAngels
Summary: Her cold, unrelenting grey eyes gleamed as the light of life faded from the dark eyes of the man. A morbid smile graced her lips. She had no regrets. "Now we are even" She spat darkly, voice devoid of emotions. "I have been vanquished and abused for my entire life. This time I will rise. This is just the beginning. My name is Evanna- the young fighter and you are in for a payback"
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _(Flashback)_

 _"Get out of here Eve!" Twelve years old Evanna could only stare in shock as the insane man she had grown up to know as her step father shot her mother in the chest before shooting himself. A scream ripped through her mouth, feet moving backwards on their own accord as she took off, running away from her dingy house, her sick and abusive parents that were dead now, running away from the hell known as her childhood._

 _(Flashback ends)_

The city of Stilwater was in ruins. Crimes everywhere. The law enforcement faction had already been taken down by the gangs. The lack of law governing the place gave rise to crimes and violence everywhere. No one was safe in Stilwater anymore. The innocent civilians were butchered on daily basis, having been caught up in the gang wars. Women and men were tortured, sometimes for fun and other times were reduced to punching bags that had to face the wrath of angry gang members who had recently lost in turf wars.

The scrawny, emaciated thirteen year old boy trudged through a dark alley in the Saints Row district, in search of food. Gaunt, pale skin, messy short hair and a frail body, no one could identify the person as a girl. Having run away from her house at the tender age of twelve, with no surviving family left to take care of her, Evanna had to fend for herself in this cruel harsh world. With her skinny build she was often mistaken for a boy and she let it be that way. After all living as a boy in these times was better than being a female. Women were raped on daily basis and forced to turn into prostitutes as that was the only way of survival in these dark times.

Having grown up in an abusive family with a drug addict mother and insane step father and spending a year consuming leftovers from the trash bins, spending nights in dark alleys and hiding whenever the turf wars took place; not much shocked or scared her anymore. She had witnessed horrible things already but when she found herself caught up in a small turf war between the city's criminal factions she could only watch in horror as it came to a violent end in the form of cold lifeless bodies dropping dead, perforated with bullets.

Despite trying to maintain her distance, she sprained her ankle whilst dodging a racing Los Carnales's car that soon crashed into a nearby wall and erupted in flames. She whimpered as the sole surviving vice king's member pointed his gun at her. "Wrong time, wrong place dawg" He said and she closed her eyes, accepting her inevitable fate.

The sound of gunshot made her wince but she felt no pain. Opening her eyes she was met with the brown eyes of a man. "You okay playa?" His voice was gruff but there was a hint of kindness laced onto it. "Julius let's move" The gun wielding man that had just shot the Vice King's member said.

The man named Julius helped her up and they limped their way to a secluded corner, away from the exploding cars and fallen bodies. "That don't look so bad, you should be fine. That's Troy, you can thank him later. " The man named Troy greeted out with a casual " Hey"

"The row ain't safe anymore, son. We got gangs fighting over shit that ain't theirs and you in their way. They don't care if you representing or not." Julius explained.

"Julius, this is no time to recruit" The man named Troy butted in, exasperated. "Besides he's just a kid!"

"That can be sharpened and trained from a very young age. We need all the help we can, son-" Julius started assertively but Troy cut him off

"No we need to get our asses out of here!"

"In a minute. Look the row's got a problem." Julius stood up, ready to move but not before offering his hand,

"Do you want to be a part of the solution? Come with us to the church"

Evanna hesitated but took up his offer and placed her hand in his. Maybe fighting for a cause would be good.

She didn't have anything to lose anyway.

A/N: Hey guys! This is a Saints Row fanfic with a female boss. Just a tribute to the Saints row series. My love for the game compelled me to write it. This will follow the canon story line except the change of gender of course and a few other changes that will be revealed soon. I have always wondered how Saints row would've been with a female boss from the very beginning and with more romance in it. This will involve the saints row series upto SR4. Gat out of hell and other off spins will not be included ( although I may change my mind later)


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Reclamation**

"We did it; Saint's Row is ours again. Well done "Julius patted the scrawny young teen on her back as she beamed, happy with the praises. She was still quite shaken up from the events of the day. Since joining the saints, this was the first time they had let her tag along to a mission as important as reclaiming the row.

She thought she had had a hard life but it was only after joining the Saints that she understood the real value of the word hard. She had to work her ass off, from learning how to yield a gun to hand to hand combat. She still remembered how her fellow lieutenants had looked down upon her when she first joined the saints.

 _(Flashback)_

 _Evanna walked in meekly towards the sea of purple clad figures cheering and hyping at something their leader was saying. She recognized the man, it was Julius. Agitation was rolling off her as she stepped into view._

 _"Who the fuck's this kid?" A loud voice drew their attention to her and she gulped, feeling the brunt of their stare. Julius nodded at her before he started_

 _"Troy and I found him, I was gonna see if he'd ride with us"_

 _"Julius he's a kid! Hey kids, how old are ya?" The guy asked her. He looked to be in his older teens. He was tall and intimidating with a well build stature. The tattoos he had were peeking through the round neck collar of his white shirt and he donned a purple jacket. His hair was dark with blonde highlights on the tips and he wore a dark sun glass._

 _Evelyn's cheeks warmed as she took in his appearance. He was intimidating but handsome in a rugged sort of way. She coughed and looked away quickly before he could catch onto it. Mustering courage she spoke up a rough voice_

" _Thirteen" Apparently it was not rough enough._

 _The man snorted "You sound like a sissy too"_

 _"Johnny, that's enough. I'm aware that the boy is young, but the way he dodge the racing Carnales car was impressive. I'm sure with a little bit of training; sh-he can be sharpened into a great weapon. We need more members." Evanna's head snapped up at Julius, her heart pounding in her chest. Whilst nobody else seems to have noticed it, she had clearly noticed his slip up. He had almost addressed her as "she" Was he aware that she was a girl?_

 _"Alright alright. But he has to get canonized, that's the rule though I doubt he'd be able to defend himself against one man, let alone the gang. Ayo Dex!" She was too horrified thinking about whether or not Julius had discerned her real gender when she felt a sharp pain on her jaw. Johnny had ordered a saint to attack her and though the blow was not that bad, she was jostled out of her thoughts."_

 _"Hey-" Julius started but Troy cut him off_

" _Johnny's right, Julius. The kid ought to know a few skills before he joins"_

 _Before the young boy could hit her again, Evanna moved out of the way, ducked under his legs, an advantage of being short and came back behind him, delivering a harsh blow to the back of leg before he could turn back. The guy yelped before dropping to the ground. She anticipated the blow she was about to receive by another saint that had come up behind her and thinking quickly, she stomped on his feet making him lose his balance and trip over the already grunting saint on the ground._

 _A year, fighting for food with other beggars and animals in the dumpster had done her good; she could hold her own if she wanted to_

 _"Okay that's enough" Julius said. She looked up and saw Troy and Julius impressed faces though the man named Johnny looked as disgruntled as ever. "That was some impressive shit. You fight pretty good for a kid"_

 _The boy she had knocked down earlier said, standing up and dusting the dirt off his clothes._

 _Julius smiled at her,_

 _"Welcome to the third street saints"_

 _(End of flashback)_

She had improved quite a bit from back then but one question still gnawed her. Hesitantly started "Julius I have to ask you something" She paused as he looked at her knowingly.

"I know what you want to ask. About your gender is it? I know you are a girl" Despite having guessed that Juliet was already aware of her gender, it still took her back. "H-How?"

"The generic saints are rowdy, boisterous and impulsive like Johnny. How do you reckon I became their leader if I didn't have a sharp eye and the ability to see through facades" He said. "Is anyone else aware of it?" She asked worriedly.

"Well there's Troy. But I can assure you your secret is safe with us. Actually it is better this way. No offense but you have seen the condition of women these days, haven't you?" She nodded. She was well aware of her fate if her real gender would be revealed. The saints would look down on her, mock her. While she had improved a lot, she was still at the bottom ranks of the saints and had done nothing remarkable to be of any special value.

She would have to leave the saints soon, to go back and live on the streets. As much as agitated she had been to join the saints initially, she could say she had grown fond of them. She had a roof under her head, albeit in the form of the run down church, food and most importantly- friends. The saints were united and it felt good to belong somewhere.

"Now go on, loosen up a bit. Don't think I'm finished with you yet, though. I'm holding a meeting at the church. Swing by when you can" She nodded at him as she walked off. She was running low on bullets.

"Listen up, people. I got some serious shit to discuss. Yeah, we cleared out. You think for a second that's gonna stop 'em? Unless we wipe all these muthafuckas out, they're gonna keep comin', and they ain't gonna be happy." Julius said with authority.

He was assigning them the gangs they had to take out. After much debate, the final gangs had been assigned to the members. Dex, the first boy she had knocked down during her canonization, - Los Carnales, Johnny- Vice Kings and Lin- West Side Rollerz. Evanna looked at Lin as she bickered with Johnny. It was clear what she had to do to dig information- trade sexual favours. The way Johnny kept insulting her only proved her point- the saints would look down on her if they ever figured out her real identity.

Julius interrupted their bickering as he continued

 **"Once we're done here go talk to one of these guys. They'll have something for you to do. It's our time now. Let's get this shit started."**

A/N: I'm aware Johnny is not that young. For the sake of the story, I'll be making a few changes.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Salting The Earth**

"That was a hell of an explosion. You okay, playa?" Julius said to her over the phone as she stepped away from the dead bodies.

"I got ran over by a mothafuckin' truck, what you think?"

She would never know what came over her as she snapped at Julius. The past months had been taking a toll on her. It had around a year since she had joined the saints and the things she had been subjected to in the year was insane. She had witnessed Lin's death, first hand, taken down Lin's murderer whilst bleeding from a gunshot herself, wiped out the vice kings and Los Carnales, blown away cars, jet planes buildings including the vice kings records building, paid numerous visits to strip clubs, killed off a prostitute named Tanya, killed the leaders of the two gangs- Los Carnales and West side Rollerz now. She had done a few good things too however, like freeing the girls, saving Aisha's sister and faking Aisha's death to free her from the austere governance of the wretched vice kings, saved Benjamin King, freed Johnny.

Julius only chuckled at her outburst. Living with the saints had rubbed off on her. Though she rarely opened her mouth- partially due to her timid nature and partially to avoid giving her gender away,she had become had climbed up the saints ranks, achieved things even older saints were unable often claimed that she was a remarkable and gifted. Even Benjamin had expressed his desire to work with her, had he found her earlier.

She was a prodigy.

"We did it, playa. 3rd Street owns this town. Now, that's not to say that shit didn't cost, and I ain't talkin' about what happened to Johnny's leg or losing Lin. Those two were soldiers, they knew the risk. Hell, Johnny gets off on it. But we crushed a lot of families playa, and someday they're gonna holler at us. But believe me when I tell you, we did the right thing. With the Rollerz wiped out, Benjamin gone, and the Colombians in our pocket, there ain't gonna be a need for a gang war ever again. And in the end, that's gonna save a lot more lives than we took. So relax, playa, you've earned yourself a break. You've impressed the hell out of me son, and I've told the crew you're gonna be my right hand- hold up, some berry just turned on his flashers. Yeah, playa, I think I'm gonna have to call you back. This may take a while."

Evanna smiled a little despite herself. Despite the constant insanity she had been put through, she was proud of her accomplishments.

Evanna sat on the stool, taking a swig off of her bottle of beer.

"Man you really are something. Julius was right about you" Dex said as he took a swig out of his bottle. Dex had become a good friend of her and they often hanged out together. It helped that he was closer to her age. Dex was not the bravest or the most skilled of the Saints but he was sly and ambitious, something others often tended to overlook. That made him quite the dangerous ally, unpredictable and scheming.

"Yo punks" Johnny said as he made his way towards them with Aisha. Evanna fist bumped him but not before noticing the way his hand rested at Aisha's waist.

She looked away discreetly, recalling a conversation from a few months ago.

 _(Flashback)_

 _"Are you new? I don't remember you hanging around the Row." Aisha said to her._

 _Evanna was currently driving both of them to Donnie's garage to collect the c4 charges. They had planned to blow off the vice records building to fake Aisha's death._

 _Donnie was a highly respected member of the Westside Rollerz and the best mechanic in the town. He was also the biggest coward she had ever met considering the way he had sold out his gang to the Saints to save his own life._

 _Evanna only nodded. She looked at the beautiful woman discreetly, from the corner of her eyes. Aisha was feminine, feisty with a gorgeous face, voice and body. It was no surprise Johnny had fallen for her._

 _A heavy sensation settled in the pit of her stomach and chest as an unknown ache started making its way through her chest. Since joining the saints, she had worked hard and one of the reasons had been to please Johnny. Johnny had insulted her a lot at first, that was all he seemed to do anyway. But she could not deny the attraction she felt towards him._

 _She had a tiny bit of a crush on him._

 _So when she had first come across Johnny and Aisha bickering, she had been taken aback. She had thought Aisha was his friend when she had saved Aisha's sister. She had no idea Aisha was his girlfriend and she could not lie, she had been hurt._

 _In retrospect, it was predictable. They quarrelled often but even in their fervent fights, the love and attraction they had towards one another was palpable._

 _And it still affected her._

 _"So does Johnny talk about me at all?" The flawless woman beside her asked her. Evanna only shook her head. Aisha chuckled. "You don't talk much do you? Well I suppose it is good, knowing how thick Johnny and his band of misfits are they probably won't recognize you as a female just from appearance"_

 _The car came to screeching halt as Evanna stared at Aisha, shocked._

 _"H-how do you know?" She asked apprehensively, letting the fake rough voice she usually adopted drop for once._

 _Aisha chuckled "Johnny may be dense as a brick and miss those looks you send his way but I do not. You like him, don't you?" There was no malice in her voice, only kindness and a hint of playfulness as her eyes sparkled with mischief. Evanna felt herself go red._

 _"No-no! Absolutely not! He is like a brother to me" She vehemently declined._

 _Aisha only smiled at her teasingly. "Hmm sure. Don't worry I don't mind. And your secret is certainly safe with me"_

 _(Flashback ends)_

True to her words Aisha had not let out a word of her discovery of Evanna's real gender or her crush on Johnny. Working with him, Evanna had grown closer to him and he had started warming up to her too. He considered her as his little brother.

And she was determined not to mess this relationship up. But as she took in Aisha and Johnny smiling lovingly at each other, she could not ignore the little pang of jealousy and pain that stabbed her heart. They suited each other so perfectly. They had their flaws and fights but they fit into each others arms like a puzzle.

So she was willing too let him go. Even if it killed her.

The ringing of her cell phone drew her attention away from her thoughts and she excused herself from the loud music blasting at the club. Stepping outside she received the call without looking at the number.

What she heard next wiped all her thoughts away.

"This is Chief Monroe. If you want Julius back, listen to what I've got to say. Now, that stunt you pulled downtown with the rocket launcher cost my associates and I quite a bit of money. Now, I may not be an honest man, but I'm a fair one. So rather than turn Saint's Row into a parking lot, I'm going to let you work off what you owe me. There's a mayoral campaign going on, and I want one of the candidates taken off the ballot. Marshall Winslow is in his campaign bus right now, and he has an appointment with the northbound. Park that bus on the train tracks tonight, or you'll find Julius' body floating in the river tomorrow. Don't disappoint me. Julius is counting on you."

The car swerved uncontrollably as the FBI SUV rammed into its side. "Hold tight playa!" Dex yelled as he took control of the vehicle and managed to evade the SUV. There were 7 police vehicles, hot on their trails. After the stunt they had pulled, it was expected. After Evanna had received the call, she had obliged to chief Monroe's demands and whims and killed off the Mayor only to get betrayed. Monroe didn't keep up his end of the deal as he refused to release Julius and that is when Johnny and Dex had come up with the plan to wipe off Monroe himself from the face of the earth. Nobody betrayed the Saints. That was the most heinous of crimes one could possibly commit. And she they would show them the consequences of a betrayal.

Killing him had been relatively easier, all they had to do was blow up all the police cars in the procession but evading the police had been a tough job. Dex had decided to take the wheel while Evanna and the other saints in the backseat rained down torrents of bullets on the trailing cars and cleared off their notoriety.

"We're here!" the saint in the back yelled as Dex drove the car inside a saints hideout garage, successfully wiping away their notoriety. They cheered at their victory.

"They'll be scooping up Monroe for weeks" Dex said fervently and she could not help but feel glee at the thought.

Evanna received a call immediately after she bid Dex and the other saints farewell. They had decided to lie low for a few days because they were still quite wanted in the city.

"Hello young man, this is Alderman Hughes. That was quite a message you sent at Winslow's funeral...and trust me, I heard it loud and clear. Now I'd like to set one thing straight...it was Monroe's plan to strong arm the Saints; personally I've always thought you and I could have a much healthier relationship. Now, we've had a rocky start, yes but why don't we fix that. Come over to my fundraiser tonight, Julius will be there and between the three of us I'm sure we can work something out."

They hung up the line before she could get a word out. She contemplated whether to go or not.

"Oh fuck it, I'm going" Evanna thought nonchalantly. After the things she had faced, she was confident she could take them down even if it turned out to be an ambush or trap. She had fought hard to run the city and nobody could stand in her way.

Evanna stared at the man as he ordered his bodyguard to leave them alone. The man was old and had greying hair but he was dressed impeccable.

"I'm Richard Hughes; it's a pleasure to meet the man who handed me the election."

He said offering his hands for a handshake but she only folded her arms across the chest, indifferent.

"No need to be modest, I'm serious. There's no way I could have beaten Marshall Winslow, God rest his soul, but you made the impossible happen, and for that I can't thank you enough." He continued.

Evanna felt a chill down her back for some reason.

Somewhere else during the same time, Aisha looked at her clock as Johnny slept on her bed. She had been jostled awake from her sleep after a nightmare she had had about losing Evanna. She had grown fond of the girl after the girl had saved her and her sister's lives.

"It was just a dream" She assured herself but could not help the unease that bubbled at the pit of her stomach.

At another place, standing on the pier, Julius stared at the yacht across the water. He almost felt guilty. The girl was bright and gifted but it was her gift that had turned out as a cruse for her. He had to do it. "I am sorry playa." He whispered before walking off, staring at his watch. It was about time.

Troy had the same thoughts running through his mind as he took out his police badge and stared at it. His days as an undercover cop were over, saints would soon be reduced to nothing.

"...to the point." Evanna cut his speech off, feeling unsettled. She felt on edge for some inexplicable reason and was eager to leave the yacht.

"Yo can you speed this shit up I wanna go to freckle bitches" She said coldly.

The man only smiled at her impatience but it was soon replaced by a stoic look "You're going to die here son, make no mistake about that"

She had suspected as much as she turned to look at his bodyguards that were surrounding her. It was an ambush, just like she had expected. She could take them down. Discreetly she pulled out her desert eagle , ready to shoot.

"... but if it makes it any easier on you, I'll be sure to thank you in my acceptance speech. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to attend." There was a loud beep and they all looked around to find the source. The last thing she remembered was the loud jarring sound of a bomb going off before she succumbed to the darkness.

The waters of Stilwater vibrated with the impact, embers of fire and metal shards spreading everywhere before they settled on the water. The burnt wrecked yacht slowly submerged into the depths of the water.

 **A/N:** Saints row 1 ends here. Sorry if it's rushed, I write this all in one go so it's probably not that good and will be very confusing if you aren't familiar with all the SR games. I might expand the chapter in the future to depict all the other events that took place. The next chapter will pick up from Saints Row 2.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Vacation's over, Saints Resurrected**

 _(5 years later)_

She could feel herself waking up. The more she edged towards consciousness; the voices around her became louder.

"Yes that looks like it healed nicely" she heard the voice of a woman as she opened her eyes and was met by the blinding white lights around her.

"Be careful doctor, your patient's dangerous"

Evanna blankly stared at the people in front of her. The last thing she remembered was being blown up on Hughes's ship. Hughes actually had planned to kill her off but something had gone wrong and the entire yacht had been blown up as far as she remembered

"That son of a bitch" She cursed him in her head. He had managed to knock her out and land her in a hospital. The fact that he had managed to catch her off guard alone pissed her off. She hoped he had died in the impact else the first thing she would do is go after his bald ass.

"You got anything you got to say to the judge you better start thinking of it now!" The cop warned her before the other one ushered him away.

"You're wasting your time. Come on let's get a hold of Troy"

Evanna glared after them as they walked away. They were going to go after Troy now. She had got the Saints into quite the trouble.

"Pshtt! Hey! Is it really you? " She looked at the source of sound as the curtains from the bed beside her were moved away revealing the boy inside. He appeared a few years older than her, had brown eyes and had a purple beanie on his head. He was rather good looking but Evanna could not recall seeing him anywhere before.

"Do I know you?"

"My brother was in the Saints and he told me all about you. Look we gotta get you out of here"

"Well I'm sure if we ask nicely." She rebuked sarcastically

"I know a way out"

She looked at him with thinly veiled skepticism. "Yeah? Then why are you still here?"

"I heard you were in here and I wanted to bust you out. Getting out of here's a two man job and no one else will give it a try..."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You really expect me to trust some guy I don't even know?"

"Come on, I just got myself shanked so I could get a chance to talk to you. Doesn't that show I'm loyal?" The guy insisted.

She dropped her head back on the bed with a thud.

"It shows that you're dumb enough to let yourself get stabbed." She said as she let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm trying to help you!" The guy pestered, evidently frustrated

"You know what I got the last time I trusted someone? Blown the fuck up." Her voice held unveiled bitterness as she addressed her present predicament.

"You need me."He said with certitude and she snapped at that.

"The hell I do, I got the saints!"

He only let out a sarcastic laugh "Sure you do, Evanna" He mocked.

 _That_ got her attention and she froze.

"What is that supposed to mean? And how do you know my name?" She asked him, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"No time to explain. I'll explain everything later. We need to get out right now! How long do you think you've been out?" Evanna paused. The explosion still felt like it had happened yesterday. She couldn't have been out for more than a few days, a week or two at the most.

"Uh, I don't know man... 2-3 weeks?" The guy only shook his head

"Look, I know you think you're a badass but do you even know where you're at? Without me you'll be wandering around the prison for hours. Even _if_ you manage to hide from the guards that long, and _if_ you actually figure out how to make it outside these walls you're just going to find out that you're sitting on a goddamn island. And I'm pretty sure you can't out swim the coast guard."

"You got a boat stashed round here?"

He shook his head. "No but I know where we can steal one"

Evanna hesitated. She still could not fully proceed what was happening but she agreed with him that she need to get out of wherever she was. Besides, he did not look like he could harm her even if he tried to.

"Alright. Let's get out of here"

"Don't you know how to use that thing?! A few more hits like that and we might not make it to the shore!" The guy whose name she had come to know was Carlos yelled at her as the boat swerved out of control from the hits the helicopter was raining down on them. She glared at Carlos but didn't say anything. She really had lost her touch which was strange because she was sure she had been in that hospital prison for a week. Still she managed to take down the helicopter and Carlos cheered "almost home free baby!"

"So you mean to tell me after that I had been out for five years, the Saints fell apart and Ultor, that clothing company, took control of everything?" Evanna asked the brown haired boy in front of her incredulously. It was so absurd she almost burst out laughing but the grim expression on the boy's face reflected the gravity of the situation.

Carlos nodded "And the three new gangs that showed up"

"Well that's fuckin' great!" She snapped, done with everything.

"That's not even all of it. After you were blown up, they found out about your identity in the hospital and the media published it everywhere on the news, labeling you as not only a murdered but also accused you of committing identity thefts and cat fishing. Hell even some of the Saints were angry with you, they felt betrayed even more so when Julius revealed he knew it all along before he disappeared. Johnny was personally furious."

Evanna sighed resignedly. Everything was screwed up big time would be an understatement. All the efforts she had put into building up her reputation, all those relationships and bonds she had formed were gone. Heck, _the Saints_ were gone.

"Look, I know you didn't ask for it, but my advice is to just keep your head down...the cops are looking for you and a lot's changed, I say ya just go buy a beer and soak up as much information as you can." Carlos said.

She nodded at him, the only ally she had at the moment. "Thanks Carlos"

She stared at her reflection in the changing room. She had decided to follow Carlos's advice and he had lent her some cash to spare. It was not much but enough to change out of her prison jumpsuit lest she attract police attention again. She had settled with a simple tee, a second hand women's basketball jacket on top and some dirty sweatpants with running shoes. As she changed into the dress she stared at her reflection.

She looked like a nightmare. Her hair was chopped short messily due to her head injuries, her bones were jutting out and her skin was ashy. Still she could see the changes the five years had done to her. She was quite tall and had grown feminine features though they were barely noticeable due to her emaciated build.

Perhaps the scariest thing about her was her eyes. She had the expression of a defeated man, but the fire burning in her eyes could strike fear in bravest of hearts. She was the definition of a beast, a predator woken up untimely from its peaceful slumber. And anyone that stood on her way would **pay**.

" _A notorious former member of the famed Third Street Saints who is famous for her cross-dressing and the main suspect in the bombing of Alderman Hughes awoke from a coma today, orchestrating a symphony of destruction that engulfed the entire island penitentiary. The inmate had been taken to the prison infirmary after awaking, and from there overpowered a prison doctor before making her way outside. After an intense gunfight, the fugitive presumably made her way to the prison's dock and escaped pursuit by boat. Details are sketchy, but it is presumed this dangerous individual was aided by another inmate."_

Evanna threw the paper down. They were still hung up on her disguise it seemed. She absently made sure her do-rag was still in place lest someone recognize her. She really had no idea where to begin the search for the remaining former saints. The bartender placed her bottle on the counter and she took a big chug when Johnny's name caught her attention. A smirk graced her lips. It seemed as though the heavens were smiling down on her.

"Shit about time your burnt ass woke up" Johnny said dryly as she tossed the keys of his handcuff to him. At the TeeN'Ay club, she had come to know of Johnny's trial and had dashed back to the courtroom, blasting things in her way to reach Johnny on time. She had turned the whole court upside down, shot down dozens of guards and cops but it was all worth it as she had reached Johnny before he got executed.

"You okay, Johnny?" She said as she took in his features. He had changed quite a lot in the past few years. He was taller and buffer. He also looked older and more like a man but he still retained his boyish charm.

Johnny studied the changes in her as well. He had been angry when he had first learned that she was a girl. He did not have anything against women but he had felt betrayed however all that had faded with time. In retrospect he could understand why she had disguised herself as a guy, the conditions back then were not really favorable for women, and the Saints would most likely have never accepted her.

Heck he himself had looked down upon her because she was a kid and if they knew she was a girl, it'd have been worse. But she had proved her worth; she had amazing potential even at such a tender age. Her skills were irrefutably exceptional irregardless of her gender. And there was no denying his fondness of the girl. He had come to view her as a family and nothing could change that.

"Aside from almost being sent to the chair, yeah I'm fine. Hey you look different, did you do something with your hair?" He said humorously, teasing her despite the situation. She paused; the surprise was evident in her eyes. She had clearly expected him to be still angry over her 'betrayal'. She shrugged, a grin threatening to break out. "You ready to get out of here?"

She stared at the big mansion in front of her as she rang the bell. Johnny sure lived lavishly.  
"Well come on in" He said as he pulled her into a familiar bro hug. Evanna returned it back with equal fervor. It was rare for Johnny to show emotions and now that the threat and adrenaline of saving Johnny had died down, she could feel how much she had missed him and by his actions, it was clear he had missed her too. Of course not in the same way she had hoped but his actions meant she was still important to him.

"Johnny, who is that?" She heard Aisha's voice as Johnny handed her a beer and proceeded to open his own using the edge of the table as a bottle opener.  
"Johnny you do not ruin my furniture, I don't care if you just got out of jail...oh my god, it's you!" Aisha exclaimed, evidently surprise. The years had been good to her. She was still as beautiful as ever and seemed to have grown classier with the chic business suit she was donning.

"Surprised, Aisha?" Evanna teased her.  
"What that you're here or that you're talking? We thought you were dead!" she said with astonishment as she hugged her tightly. Aisha still considered her to be a great friend. Aisha pulled her back and stared at her. "You look different."

"Yeah he does, or should I say? _She_ " Johnny grumbled as Aisha glared at him. "Johnny!"

"What?! It's not fair she told you about her identity and not me" Evanna shot a look at Aisha discreetly, slightly paranoid. If Aisha had told Johnny about her real gender, did that mean she had told him about her crush on him as well? Aisha seemed to understand her concerns and only shook her head amused.

" She didn't 'tell me' Johnny I figured it out myself. If you weren't so dense maybe you would have seen it earlier" Johnny grunted

"Whatever back to business"  
"What's the rush? Can't it wait until after dinner?"  
"No." Johnny and Evanna said in unison and Aisha chuckled. " You two haven't changed at all."

"I've been in jail and that bitch's been laid out in coma. We need to plan. So what's it going to be?"  
" We get our crew back together and once we got that we can work on how we're taking back our city" Evanna said, determination shinning in her eyes.

Johnny nodded.  
"Sounds good"  
"And where were you planning on have this little meeting?" Aisha interrupted them with a knowing voice.

Johnny and Evanna shared a look. They seemed to have the same thoughts running through their mind as they checked out the room they were sitting in. Aisha spoke before they could suggest what they were about to

"No. Absolutely not"

Johnny clicked his tongue at her and sighed, knowing it was futile to argue with her "We got to find a new place"

"It's kind of a shit hole" Evanna said as they checked out the place they had just take over. It was an abandoned, crusty, old, dilapidated hotel and used to be the inhabited by the bums and Sons of Samedi, one of the three rival gangs before Johnny and Evanna had cleared it out.

" True dat. But it's a shithole with potential" Johnny said and Evanna had to agree. The place, despite its condition was big, spacious and would be salubrious once renovated.

"We could throw in a stripper pole, some flat screens...maybe some nicer furniture..."

"You had me at stripper pole" She said chuckling. Sexuality was not something she had given much thought to but if she had to say it, she was pretty sure she swung both ways. Strippers had always been satisfying to look at and she enjoyed their dances even in non carnal ways and just as a form of entertainment.

Johnny fist bumped her "Fucking ay"

Evanna looked at the crowd of people cheering before her, the three new people she had recruited in tow behind her- Carlos, Shaundi and Pierce.

"Where did you find these people? '' She said to Johnny as the crowd continued to punch each other. She recognized a handful of familiar faces in them, the old Saints.

"Like I said, I made some calls"

" Wow you guys actually hang out down here?" Carlos said, his eyes were wide and a mixture of awe and intimidation.

" I dunno...add a flat screen, some throw pillows and a hookah and this place would be alright." Shaundi, the girl Evanna had just recruited said. She was beautiful, with her sandy brown dreadlocks, hazel eyes and voluptuous built. She was scantily clad and reminded Evanna of Lin, only more laid back. Shaundi was a hipster and had even more contacts than Lin did.

"You definitely need a stripper pole in this bitch" Pierce, the second member she had recruited said. He was high strung, quite the opposite of Shaundi and hated the Ronins with a passion. Johnny agreed with him.

"So what do we do now?" Shaundi asked Johnny as Evanna made her way to the top of the stairs.

"We listen"

Evanna stared down at the crowd of people before her. Some of them were looking up at her eagerly with anticipation, some apprehensively, some with confusion, and some with suspicion. The handful of old saints that Johnny had managed to find in particular. They still seemed to be skeptical and unsure about her and she could not blame them. Johnny had already told her that she would have to prove herself again for the saints to accept her as their leader; they would not follow anyone blindly.

Specially, as a woman gang leader, the difficulties only escalated for her. To their knowledge, there had never been a woman gang leader before.

"Alright, everybody listen up, we got some serious shit to discuss. The Saints used to own Stilwater and it seems like the only muthafucka's that remember that is me and Gat. I think it's time we give those other crews a wake-up call." She paused mid way her speech, recalling hearing something similar ages ago, when she was still a kid and had just been recruited into the Saints"

"Now I ain't gonna lie, a lotta shit's changed since I've been outta the game. To the old crew, I am really sorry for hiding my real identity but let's be honest, would anyone have trusted that scrawny little 13 year old girl back then? But I'm willing to prove myself this time around. But I'm gonna need some help. Pierce, you're on the Ronin. I wanna know who's callin' the shots and what businesses they're running. Shaundi, you got the Sons of Samedi."

Shaundi began to protest but a glare from the boss shut her up.

She finally looked at Carlos who seemed intimidated but he stepped forward courageously on his own, swallowing his fear.

"The Brotherhood, I got it" He said respectfully. She let out a small, genuine smile at him, the first she had let out after being awakened from her coma. She couldn't lie; she had started growing fond of Carlos. Somehow he reminded her own self when she had joined the Saints first.

"Alright. Once we're done here talk to one of these guys, they'll have something for you to do. It's our time now, let's get this shit started!" She finished as the crowd erupted in cheers. Vacation was over, it was about time the resurrected Saints took control of the world again.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: First Love and Impressions**

"So do you remember my brother?" Carlos asked her as he drove the septic truck while Evanna gunned the roof mounted cannon, spraying the buildings in sewer and devaluing their worth. It had been two months since the Saints had been 'resurrected' as quoted by the press and they had done a lot of damage within that time. For starters they had decided to go after Sons of Samedi first and taken out most of them, destroyed their labs, taken over their market and killed a prominent member of their gang and Shaundi's ex, Veteran child after he had attempted to kidnap and murder Shaundi. They had also heisted one of Ronin's casinos but had to cease the attacks on Ronin due to increase in the counter attacks from Samedi.

Often when not wrecking havoc on the gangs, Evanna took up other small jobs and side missions to earn more money and prove her worth. Even though the Saints respected her, she knew some of the old ones were still sceptical in her abilities to rule the gang even though they would never voice out their opinions so she was determined to prove them wrong.

"I'd be a liar if I said I did, Carlos. There were a lotta people in that gang" She said apologetically. For the past two months she had increasingly started spending time with Carlos. He was terribly insecure and had awfully low confidence in himself and often berated himself when he disappointed someone. He was also quite introverted, not unlike her when she had first joined the gang.

But he was the only one who had dared to break her out of the prison. He was dedicated, loyal and had to be the kindest soul she had ever met although that made him somewhat of a doormat. He was always willing to help the others any way he could and often the Saints gave tedious and fatuous work like polishing the guns parts and nozzles, keeping the headquarters clean, running errands for them to him. But he gladly did them, never complained and always sported a smile on his face.

For some inexplicable reason, she had a strong urge to protect Carlos. Carlos was always eager to please her so they had started hanging out together, whether it was to act as temporary bodyguards and protect celebrities from the crazy crowd by or engaging in fight club activities. She had insisted Carlos to join the fight club as well and the improvements in his melee combat were noticeable.

Another thing that was noticeable was the change in the way she interacted with Carlos compared to the other Saints. When Shaundi had pointed it out at first she had only laughed it off but she could not deny it. The fondness she had for Carlos had blossomed into something else. It was evident in her body language, the way she interacted and smiled when with Carlos, the way she did not berate him when he did mistakes, unlike the rants she went on when others did mistakes. She was partial towards Carlos and some of the Saints had started noticing it. A few brave ones even dared to tease her about it.

She _**liked**_ Carlos. A lot. She was feeling the things she had felt for Johnny, only tenfold more.

Speaking of Johnny, her feelings for him had seemingly faded away. She still loved him, he was still her best friend but the perspective had changed. Her unrequited feelings for him had been smothered out and pushed back by the new flames she had started harboring for a certain adorable brunette boy.

Of course, she did not know whether Carlos was even aware of her obvious change, he did appear to be oblivious like Johnny. And she had tried to reign in her psyche at first.

She had a gang to run for fuck's sake! She could not indulge in matters of the heart. What she had on Johnny was just a crush, but what she felt for Carlos was real genuine love.

She was _ **in**_ _ **love**_ **.**

And that would turn out to be a weakness, it would destroy her. She could not afford to have feelings for him.

But there was no say in matters of heart. She was after all, just nineteen. She had never been loved, never experienced what it was to love someone romantically, never been touched with affection, never had someone stare at her with admiration that did not stem from her capabilities as a puckish rogue. She wanted someone to like the girl behind the strong facade she had put up. The girl that had been scarred from her childhood.

The girl that had witnessed the death of her parents when she was only twelve, first hand.

The girl who had survived on the streets for a year on her own.

The girl who had mastered wielding a gun at thirteen.

The girl who had witnessed the death of her friends at thirteen.

The girl who had killed people at thirteen.

The girl who had been blown up to hell at the age of fourteen.

The scarred, battered girl who was still living and breathing despite of the shit she had been put through.

She had spent a good portion of her life disguising herself as a boy and blasting things up and missed out on all her teenage years with the coma. Even though she put up a tough exterior and acted like a tomboy, she secretly wished sometimes that someone would look at her the way Johnny looked at Aisha. The way all of Shaundi's ex admired her.

Carlos gave her that. He admired her, and she often caught the fleeting glances he graced her with. Of course he would immediately look away but she could not help but hope he felt the same way.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, peering up at him through her thick lashes.

"So what did you do before you decided to join the Saints?" She asked him trying to make small talk.

"I was studying fashion in Steelport." She looked at him bemusedly as he continued. " I um also modelled for a few agencies" He added in a murmur, embarrassed.

She only chuckled. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about it. I mean you are cute." She caught herself as Carlos turned to look at her shocked. They quickly looked away as their eyes met.

" _I just did_ _ **not**_ _say that_ ," She cursed inside her mind,

"ahaha-I I was kidding!" She laughed awkwardly and Carlos joined her

"Yeah. A-anyway so as I was saying, I came back here after I heard my brother got shot in the leg. He told me all about you and the Saints. Despite being shot in the leg he gave his life trying to protect the church from the Ultor forces. I could nothing as my brother was killed" He stopped the car and hung his head low.

Evanna placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"That is when I decided to break you out and continue his legacy of protecting the Saints. Although my skills are nowhere near his. I'm rather useless to the gang, huh?" he said with a sad chuckle.

" Who says you are useless? Carlos, if it weren't for you I wouldn't be standing here. Johnny could have died and the Saints would have never been formed again. Carlos, _**you**_ resurrected the Saints." She said staring into his large, tranquil and benevolent light brown eyes. They were _ **captivating.**_

Time stopped around them and she found herself leaning in.

"I-I did?" He whispered as he shut his eyes, lost in the moment. Before their lips could touch the honking of the cars behind them broke them apart. Carlos pushed her away by the shoulders, both of their faces red enough to put fire to shame.

"I-I'm sorry" Carlos stammered but she shook her head.

"No I'm sorry. I went over the line" She said. She could not believe what she had just done " Stupid, stupid, **stupid!** " She cursed herself silently, despite of the hurt creeping up in her heart.

Carlos had just _pushed_ her away.

She refused to look at him lest he see the hurt swimming in her eyes as the rest of the drive continued in an awkward silence.

Evanna stared annoyed at Shaundi as she continued to laugh.

" That is not funny Shaundi!"

"Of course it is! You tried to kiss that punk!" Shaundi roared in laughter again as she covered her friend's mouth before someone else heard them. The only person she trusted when it came to matters of heart was Shaundi.

"Kiss? You tried to _kiss_ somebody?" Pierce exclaimed in astonishment as he walked in with Johnny. So much for maintaining secrecy.

" Yes, that too Carlos!" Shaundi burst out laughing again as Johnny and Pierce stared at her shocked.

" You like that kid?" Pierce asked her. Of course, being dumb as her guy friends were, they had not noticed the change in her behaviour except Shaundi. Evanna glared at Shaundi and she raised her hands in surrender.

" I mean it was expected though. I would've been more surprised if Carlos had actually let you kiss him. That boy is more shy than a bride on her wedding night"

Pierce laughed at that "True. _How_ can you like that punk?."

"I mean he _is_ adorable" Shaundi said at the same time as Pierce.

" _Adorable?_ What?! Shaundi, are you out of your mind?"

"There they go again" Evanna thought grimly. Their incessant fights were becoming a daily occurrence and it was annoying to say the least.

Pierce and Shaundi continued to bicker and Evanna just sighed before she plopped down on a nearby couch.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Gat said as he took the seat next to her. She had almost forgotten about him.

" Yes, orchestrate silly things like feelings in front of all the Saints, just what I need for my daily dose of _'proving my worth'_ " She said sarcastically.

"Whoa, no need to get snappy with me. And that's not a weakness at all. I love Eesh but can anyone deny I'm the baddest motherfucker around?" Johnny said boastfully and she could not help but let out a small smile.

Perhaps Johnny was right. As long as her feelings were not messing up with her plans for the Saints, it was okay to harbour them. She doubted whether she was even strong enough to get rid of them anyway.

Evanna walked with Carlos down the cave. They were on their way to meet Maero, the leader of The Brotherhood who had requested to meet the leader of the Saints.

Neither of them had spoken a word about what had happened two days back and there was an uncomfortable silence around them.

Thankfully, they came across the tattooed man sitting against a bench rather quickly.

"You Maero?" He nodded.

"Where's your crew then?" She asked him when she spied no other red uniform clad gang member around.

"I don't need one"

"Are you sure about that? I could **kill you** right now" She said threateningly , as the click of the safe lock of her gun reverberated inside the hollow cavern as she set it off.

"No. You couldn't" He said smugly, standing up and showing off his full height. He was a good foot taller than her and was twice the size of Johnny. She smirked impressed by his confidence before she dropped it into a dire expression. "What do you want?"

"Listen I'm not stupid. I know who you are. There's no reason for us to tear each other apart."

She looked at him sceptically "I'm listening"

"Here's what I'm thinking. We divide Stilwater-" He was cut short by the voices of the cops arriving. "Shit!" Carlos said as they ducked behind a bench, firing shots at them.

"That son of a bitch" Evanna grumbled as she drove back to the Saints hideout with Carlos. After getting rid of the police, Maero had taken them to his workshop to suggest his outrageous plan of an eighty- twenty division with the saints holding the twenty percent.

The Saints that used to _own_ Stilwater holding only _twenty percent_ of the city. She had been appalled at his nerve for suggesting such an atrocious offer.

And he had expected her to be _grateful_ about it. Regardless to say, she was fuming.

Not only that, his girlfriend, Jessica had mocked and taunted Carlos publicly and she had also seen Donnie working there.

Donnie, the person who was indirectly responsible for the state they were in, the one who had betrayed the Saints for his own selfish gains.

So there were a few good reasons why her mood was the way it was.

"Hey, calm down-" Carlos said when she snapped at him

"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! You may be a sissy but I am not one!" She erupted on him before dropping her head on her hand against the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry, Carlos" She said after a while, feeling the guilt settle in.

Carlos surprisingly had not been affected by her words as he only smiled at her understandingly.

"Hey, it's fine. I know you are upset. Don't worry. We'll figure out something, I promise" He said reassuringly.

She stared at him taken aback. With Carlos's low confidence, she had expected him to be upset with her. Carlos was starting to show improvements.

And that alone wiped away all her earlier homicidal thoughts as she beamed at him, proud.

It was amazing and scary at the same time, the effect he had started having on her to influence her mood, the way he could interfere with her temper and calm her down. It was a feat no one had achieved.

And it made her all the more fierce in her resolve to protect him.


End file.
